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With 10 cars at Spa Francorchamps for the Radical Challenge, RAW Motorsports drivers weren’t the only part of the team going flat out.

RACE 1:

In the first race Andrew Ferguson debuted their new SR8 and handed to Brother Jeremy at the pitstops in second place. “It was handling Ok but there was a lot of oil down,” said Jeremy.

Steve Burgess didn’t make a particularly good start, but was up to 11th by lap two, with team mates Dominik Jackson and Tom Harvey ahead of him in sixth and tenth respectively.” There was lots of action, outbraking and contact,” Tom.

The Ferguson’s held onto a podium place with third, while Brian Harvey, having rejoined fifth dropped to eighth, taking the runner up spot in the Team class. “I got held up and Nouri and Lukasevich caught me,” said Brian.
Burgess had climbed rapidly through order and led the SR3’s by lap eight. He had already been at the head of a queue behind Villars’ SR8, since ousting Lang from the class lead. But as he peeled into the pitlane for his stop, Ryan Booth’s SR8 had expired and blocked the entrance, before team mates Jackson and John Macleod joined the queue.

The delays proved decisive and while Elliot Goodman secured a solid 10th, Jackson managed to fight back to 11th, with Burgess 12th.

Burgess was into a duel with class polesitter Oliver Barker from the start of race two, but initially Jackson had been in second overall. “I had started on wets and after two or three laps the grip just dropped off,” he explained after falling to seventh.

Burgess and Barker managed to latch onto to class leader Lang, but his longer stop brought their duel to the fore. “It wasn’t a bad start, maybe a bit over cautious though. After Ollie got me I stayed with them, my stop was OK and I rejoined just behind again,” Burgess explained.

Ferguson had pitted for slicks on the green flag lap, but also lost time when the car struggled to restart at the pitstop. They finished sixth with Jackson eventually 12th. The Harvey’s were 18th, Macleod 20th and the Bailey’s 23rd, while Rod Goodman was unclassified, son Elliot retired with a sheared hub, Liversidge was 24th and Paterson 26th.

RACE 3:

With heavy rain during the previous GT race, the start of race three was two laps behind the safety car.
From the green flag Burgess shot up to fourth but Tom Harvey was in the mix again too, with Jackson also taking Ferguson for fifth before receiving an early drive through penalty.
Burgess had been shadowing Barker and on lap seven he was ahead as they came through the Bus Stop. His rival chased hard during the second half, but Burgess took a comfortable win. “It was my best start, I had pressed Lang at La Source and then reeled in Ollie for the class lead. I got a good gap and put slicks on at the stop and just continued to manage the gap,” he said.

Despite his penalty Jackson also had a good second half to finish fourth, “I had pitted for slicks early too and had some good pace,” he added.

The Ferguson’s were sixth, with Macleod 12th. “I had the wrong rear tyres on for the first half, then got double parked and just went for it after that,” said Macleod.

In 16th were the Bailey’s, with Liversidge 17th, Rod Goodman 20th, Paterson 23rd and the Harvey’s 24th. 2We got a puncture after contact when were seventh,” said Tom.

It was a weekend full of drama for the RAW Motorsports team in Portimao.
Qualifying may have been early at 8am but it started well. Alex Kapadia took pole Manhal Allos’ SR8 for the first Radical European Masters race. “The car felt reasonable, but we need a clean race, but expect a fight with Colin Noble’s Spider,” he explained.

It was also a RAW pole in the Supersports class with Marco Cencetti’s SR3. “Very good, still making changes, so hopefully even better,” he reckoned.

Third in class was Dominik Jackson, “new tyres and I didn’t get the best out of them,” he admitted. Andrew Ferguson completed the RAW quartet in sixth.

RACE 1:

Kapadia lost out at the start of the opening race, but soon fought back, after a first lap duel with John Harrison. But having taken second on lap two, he was challenging for Noble’s lead. “I didn’t expect the lights when they changed as I could hardly see them. But once I closed on Noble, I got by into Turn One on the third lap and just managed the car until I pitted to hand to Manhal,” he said.

But Allos hadn’t even made a lap when the engine blew and an almost certain win disappeared. “It just suddenly lost power and blew up,” Allos explained.

Cencetti had also been a clear leader in the Supersports, but was penalised for loosening his seat belts as he came into the pitlane, leaving Marcelo Marateotto to serve the penalty, which cost them the lead. “The car had been much better, then we got the penalty,” said Cencetti.

The extra stop dropped Marateotto to third in class, “we found a good set up with understeer to start and finishing with oversteer, I spun after the penalty, lost my head,” he admitted. The Jackson’s were in the thick of the podium battle too, finishing fourth. “We had a drive through for loosening belts too and some vibration at the rear of the car,” said Dominik. “I had a go dice with Ollie Hancock, but let him go and learned from him,” Cameron added.

Andrew Ferguson was sixth, “a bit slow getting into it and keeping the momentum going,” he admitted.

RACE 2:

With no spare engine, Allos was forced to start at the back of the grid for race two in a borrowed RXC Spider, but was into third from the exit of Turn One. “Unlike the SR8 it didn’t have the feel of a race car,” he reckoned.
Having pitted from third, Allos handed to Kapadia who started to hunt down leader Ryan Booth. “It felt difficult and heavy but I pushed, but a bit too far and spun at Turn 14,” he said after dropping to fourth a lap from home.
Cameron Jackson led the Supersports from the start and his lead grew after Marateotto retired following a stop go penalty. “I was consistent but looked in my mirrors and there was no one there,” he said.
Dominik retained the lead second until the 19th lap, losing out to Hjerppe, but six laps later he got Jeremy Ferguson into Turn Five and was back to take second. “I was overdriving and he got me at Turn One, I just didn’t get the best from the car,” he said. “Much better and faster than qualifying, I feel competitive now,” Ferguson added.

RACE 3:

Despite starting at the back again, Allos had fantastic start and was third into Turn Five. Despite losing the place to Ryan Booth a lap later, he didn’t surrender without a fight and a lot of side by side duelling. “I was happy to race a bit and a great start but the car doesn’t suit me,” he admitted.
Kapadia chased Harrison for second during his stint, but when his rival had a gearbox issue a lap from home, he pounced to snatch a hard fought second. “We found we only had 70% throttle as the wet setting switch had been knocked,” he said.

Once again the Jackson’s had a terrific scrap for the class lead, “I survived the pressure to hold onto it,” said Dominik. “Disappointed to lose second though, but I had a go at getting it back on the last lap,” said Cameron after an outbraking manoeuvre into Turn Five. They were third at the flag with the Ferguson’s fifth.

The Banbury based RAW Motorsports team celebrated a second successive title in the Radical European Masters Championship at Jerez.

RACE 1:

Marcelo Marateotto and Marco Cencetti took their Radical SR3 to a class win in the first of the weekend’s three races, but not before Cencetti had escaped damage free after contact on the opening lap. He led the class throughout his stint, and after taking over the lead car Marateotto was equally dominant to take the class win and third overall.
Team mates Manhal Allos and Alex Kapadia were second overall throughout in their SR8, “I lost time at the end of my opening stint, as the tyres had just gone,” said Kapadia. “It took me a few laps to settle and find the braking points as it was oversteering,” Allos added.
Jeremy & Ferguson also shared their Spyder RXC but were early retirements.

RACE 2:

Allos led race two until the pitstop window, handing to Kapadia with Harrison in his wheeltracks. “I got a good start, there was a hole there so I put myself in it,” Allos explained. “I had big oversteer problems though and it got very lively,” he added. Kapadia still managed to hold onto second however, after McClughan retired.
Marateotto spent most of his opening stint stuck behind Booth’s Spyder, but Cencetti’s progress during the second half netted them third in class after he demoted Robinson six laps from home.
Jeremy Ferguson ran solo but severe brake problems caused a few spins and an early retirement again.

RACE 3:

Having started the weekend with an outside chance of the Masters Class title. Allos and Kapadia were disappointed to go home without a win, but once again finished a solid second, after Kapadia took Wells exiting Turn 2 in the closing laps.”We just didn’t have enough pace this weekend, but can’t say why,” said Allos.
Cencetti also limped to the finish, I got hit and it damaged my front wheel so had to nurse it home,” he explained. But the Champions were crowned again, “I have to thank Marco but we both have to give thanks to Rob and the team for giving us the car that we could win the title with, again,” Marateotto enthused.
Andrew Ferguson also had a good start to the final race. “I went up the grass at the start and was sixth. I caught Corbett but couldn’t get by. The car was great and then I spun trying to get by, and again, and again, so brought it home in last place, but it was the best the car had been all weekend,” he said.

It was a good weekend for Oliver Barker in the SR1 Cup, but even three wins couldn’t clinch him the title as he finished runner up.

RACE 1:
In race one he led from Agostini’s on the opening lap before taking victory by 23 secs, while Tony Barwell’s early fifth disappeared with a spin at Wilson on the last lap, dropping him to ninth and promoting Paul Pearce to seventh. “It was cautious start, but once ahead it was hard to concentrate and stay focused,” said Barker. “I just took my eye off the ball,” Barwell admitted.

RACE 2:
In the second race Barker had to back off into third at the start as Kye Wheatley closed the gap. Having taken Wheatley at the start of lap two, he reeled in James Taylor to lead from Wilson Hairpin on the fourth lap.
James Barwell slipped to the back of a five car train to take eighth with Pearce completing the top ten.

RACE 3:
Although Taylor led from the start of the final race, Barker surged ahead into Riches on the second lap and eased clear again, while Barwell was set for fifth until a last lap spin at Palmer put him out and promoted Pearce to ninth.